Slipcover for accordion type folding closures



June 17, 1958 R, MCCQNVILLE 2539;134-

SLIPCOVER FOR ACCORDION TYPE FOLDING CLOSURES Filed July 7. 1954 INVENTOR.

ROBERT H. MCCONVILLE United States Patent SLIPCOVER FOR ACCORDION TYPE FOLDING CLOSURES Robert H. McConville, New Castle, Ind., assignor to New Castle Products, Inc., New Castle, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application July 7, 1954, Serial No. 441,783

4 Claims. (Cl. 160-84) My invention relates to slipcovers for accordion type folding closures and to the method of making and the method of applying such slipcover-s.

This invention is applicable to the type of accordion folding door closures which, when expanded for closing the opening, do not straighten out to a fiat surface but remain in somewhat shallow corrugations, the closure changing from shallow to deep corrugations as the closure is folded and unfolded in its opening and closing operation. An example of such a closure is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,599,860.

Folding closures are used in ofiices and residences in which they should blend with the general color scheme of the room to which the folding closure is exposed. Frequently the color scheme for a room is changed after a folding closure has been applied, making it desirable to change the color of the exposed side of the folding closure. To effect economies in the manufacture of folding closures, manufacturers may supply a single standard color and fabric at a lower price than that charged for selected colors.

The object of this invention is to provide a slipcover which can be easily applied to one or both sides of a folding closure and which furthermore can be applied by the owner rather than by a skilled artisan. The user applies a somewhat stiff strip of carpet tape about one and one-fourth inches wide along the top and along the bottom of the material to be used as a slipcover. Such carpet tape is purchased with an adhesive applied to one side which, when heated with an iron, melts and unites firmly with the surface against which it has been ironed.

The height of the slipcover from top to bottom is made equal to the height of the standard closure cover, plus the width of the tape at the top and at the bottom. By folding the tape downwardly over the top of the standard cover and upwardly from the bottom of the standard cover following the contour of the corrugations, the material of the slipcover remains in place even though stretched taut. Because of the corrugations of the folding closure, the stiffened edge of the slipcover would have to crumble upon itself within the outwardly extending portions of the corrugations and would have to tear or stretch around the inwardly extending corrugations. In applying the slipcover, sufficient manual force is used to overcome the stiffness of the tape.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 illustrates a portion of the top of a closure to which the slipcover has been applied.

Fig. 2 illustrates the method of applying the slipcover at the movable end of the folding closure.

Fig. 3 illustrates the method of applying the slipcover at the stationary end of the folding closure.

Fig. 4 illustrates a convenient method of applying the slipcover which includes holding it temporarily at its midpoint by means of a paper clip, and

2,839,134 Patented June 17, 1958 Fig. 5 illustrates the method of applying the slipcover to the bottom of the folding closure.

The folding closure illustrated in the drawings is supported from a track 6 attached to the lintel or other horizontal part of an opening tovbe serviced by the folding closure. The closure, generally designated 7, is suspended from sliding blocks 8 which move along the track 6, the stationary end of the closure being attached to a vertical jamb by spring clips 9.

The regular covering material 10 is ordinarily folded downwardly as at 11 and attached to a collapsible framework by snaps, rivets, clips or cementing, none of which is illustrated as it forms no part of my present invention.

The movable end of the illustrated folding door is provided with a C-shaped channel 12 into which the standard material 10 is folded and held by a rubber retaining and abutment strip 13, which, when pressed into the C-shaped member, expands behind the fold of the material and holds it firmly in place. This abutment strip 13 is easily removed by starting at one end and peeling it outwardly.

t the stationary end of the closure, a similar C-shaped channel 14 is held against the vertical jamb by the spring clips 9, which serve also to hold the standard cover in place along the vertical channel.

1 The projecting ends 15 of the spring clips 9 extend through openings in the face of the channel 14 so that they may be squeezed together by pressing upon the material of the standard cover until they unlock from the channel.

The slipcover 18, which is preferably of a light flexible cloth, is provided with tapes 19 cemented along the top and bottom of the slipcover, preferably by ironing with a hot iron. The ends of the tape and the slipcover as well are notched as at 21) to facilitate the attachment of the slipcover to the channels 12 and 14 at the movable and stationary ends of the closure.

In order to apply the slipcover to the closure, the handle 21 is removed, the rubber abutment is partly pulled away, as shown in Fig. 2, and the closure is freed from the jarnb, as shown by the lower clip 9 of Fig. 3. A middle position of the slipcover is attached by a paper clip 22 to a middle position at the top of the closure and a middle position of the slipcover is attached by a paper clip 23 to the middle position at the bottom of the closure. The slipcover is then manually laid along the corrugated folds of the closure, with the stiffened portion turned backwardly and downwardly at the top until the ends of the door are reached, where the material of the slipcover is folded in with the standard cover and held in place at the movable end of the door by pressing the rubber abutment strip into place over both the slipcover and the standard cover. The rubber abutment strip 13 is then peeled upwardly from the bottom of the door, and after the slipcover has been folded into the channel 12 from top to bottom, the abutment strip is again forced into the opening in the channel 12, hold ing the standard cover and the slipcover firmly in place on the channel 12.

After the slipcover has been tucked in smoothly along the stationary end of the folding closure, the closure is again pressed in place over the clips 9 where the slipcover and the standard cover are held firmly against the jamb and into the hollow portion of the C-shaped channel 14.

It is to be understood that diiferent methods of attaching the standard covers to the end channels of the folding closure may require different shaped notches or cuts at the ends of the tape in order to facilitate smooth attachment at the ends, the illustrated shape being that suitable for one well-known make of folding closure.

. Although I have shown and described my invention with respect to certain details of construction, it is to be understood that these details maybe varied without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

I claim: 1. A foldable closure including an accordion 'foldable frame provided with post-like end members, a flexible permanent cover attached to said frame and end mem- 4 of which are stifiened by applied tapes formed 'from self-sustaining material, said tapes being horizontally folded in accordion-type pleats over the top and bottom edges of a permanent cover in slipcover retaining relation therewith, the end margins of said slipcovers being fastened to said end members, the material of 'said tapes being sufficiently flexible to accordion fold with said frame while being adequately rigid to retain said slip- V coverso'ri said permanent covers with hook-like action bers on each'side of said frame, and a slipcover over-f,

lying each permanent cover, said slipcovers each being 1 formed from flexible material the upper and lower edges 7 of which are stiffened by, applied tapes formed from self-sustaining material, said tapes being horizontally folded over the top and bottom edges of a permanent cover'in slipcover retaining relation therewith, the end margins of said slipcovers being fastened to said end members. I

2. A foldableclosureincluding an accordion foldable frame provided with post-like end members, a flexible permanent cover attached to said frame end members on each side of said. frame, and a slipcover overlying each permanent'coven said slipcovers each being formed from flexible material the upper and lower edges or" which are stiffened by applied tapes formed from selfsustaining material, said tapes being horizontally folded lying each permanent cover, said slipcovers each beilfig,

formed'from flexiblematerial the upper and lower edges along the upper and lower edges thereof reinforced by the accordion-type pleats formed in said tapes.

4'. A foldable closure including an accordioirfoldahle'frame provided with post-like end members, a flexible permanent cover attached to said frame and end members on each side of "said frame,--and a slipcover overlying each permanent cover, said slipcovers each being formed from flexible material the upper and lower edges of which are stiffened by applied tapes formed from self-sustaining material, said tapes being horizontally folde'din accordion-type pleats over. the top and bottom edges of a permanent c'ov'er in"slipcover retaining relationitherewith, the endmargins of said slipcovers being fastened to said end members, the material of said tapes being" sufficiently flexible to accordion fold with said frame while being adequatelyrig'id to retain said slipcovers on said permanent covers with hook-like action along the upper and lower 'edg'e's thereof reinforced by the accordion-type pleats formed iii saidtapes, said end members being channel-shaped and receivingctherein the end margins of said permanent covers and slipcovers releasably clamped therein by resilient inserts removably carried by said end members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,810,847 Nordellet a1. June 16, 1931 1,877,829 Erlind'er Sept; 20, 1932 1,878,034 Vansant Sept. 20, 1932 2,732,894 Harris Jan. 3l, 1956 

